So as to avoid losing skis during a fall, they were traditionally fitted with soft leather straps. This proved to be a good method but all the same dangerous for the skier who risked a serious accident if the fall was bad or violent.
The appearance of the device known as "stop-ski" consisting of a pin which is released when the skier loses a ski and which blocks the ski's progress in the snow, gave the skier total independence. Even so, "stop-ski" is ineffective in powder snow. However, over the last few years, skiing has developed a great deal and the skier who has achieved what he considers to be a high standard, will always be attracted by off-track skiing despite the fact that it is forbidden, dangerous and ill-advised. Another system used for recovering a detached ski comprises a winding means mounted on the ski and connected to the ski boot by a strap which unwinds yet holds the ski attached to the ski boot in the event of a fall. This system, although effective, generally lacks flexibility and is not always reliable in that the strap can become unattached from the winding means in the event of a violent fall, which can then lead to the ski being lost.